Page 110 of Rocky Mountain Home

“Which she shouldn’t have had to do because she’d already found out from me how old everyone was. Plus their names, and I think their boot size—the conversation got really random, but I think that was to try and throw me off the scent.”

Jesse stole a couple of fries from the package on Dare’s side of the table. “It makes sense, I guess. By the time you hit your late twenties, the dating pool in a small town is only about an inch deep.”

“Tell me about it,” she said. “I had to leave town, drive to the boonies and tie one on to find a guy.”

They exchanged a grin before Jesse went back to the food and the topic at hand. “I suppose Caleb is decent enough, but I don’t think he and Tamara would get along very well.”

He tried for another fry, but Dare slapped his fingers away, laughing as he pretended to be in deadly pain. “Caleb is a catch,” she insisted.

“Oh, really? Does that mean you’re marrying him instead of me?” Jesse teased. She’d told him about Caleb’s proposal.

Dare sat upright and folded her arms over her chest. “I didn’t actually agree that we’re getting married. In case you didn’t notice.”

A small detail that Jesse had been ignoring, which probably wasn’t a wise idea.

He changed topics. “How’s Buckaroo? He line-dancing or doing the two-step?”

Dare shifted her head from side to side. “He’s pretty quiet during the day, usually, unless I’m really still.”

“Which means never.”

She tucked the last bit of a burger into her mouth and chewed sassily. Jesse hopped off the bed and got them glasses of water, and when they were done, he cleaned up the whole mess and moved the table aside.

“Scoot over,” he ordered. “I want to take care of my fiancée.”

She shifted toward the foot of the bed and he crawled up so he could place his hands on her shoulders, massaging her neck and back. Digging in his thumbs until her head was lolling to the side, and she was making delicious noises.

“You’re killing me,” he whispered, attempting to adjust so he had enough room his erection wasn’t cut in two by his zipper. “Those are sex noises. Those are not allowed to be made outside of sex time.”

“Oops? Sorry, but ohhhh…”

She did it again, the sound melting into his ears and along his spine as if she’d placed her lips to his body. Or her tongue, slipping over his skin. Licking along the edge of his six pack and headed south.

Jesse skimmed his hand lower, somehow massaging instead of feeling her up.

Okay, that was bullshit—he was totally feeling her up as he massaged, hands cupping her ass briefly before sliding along the side of her body until he brushed the heavy weight of her breasts.

“Tease,” she whispered.

“I was told I’d be skinned if anyone caught us fooling around. I don’t want to cause any troubles. You’re in the hospital for a reason.” He let out a heavy sigh then reined himself in. “Come on, baby. Lie down and let me cuddle you for a bit.”

The bed wasn’t big enough for the two of them, but with some wiggling they ended up stretched out together. Dare had tried to roll her back toward him, but Jesse resisted. Tugging her until she was flat on her back and he was on his side, halfway over her. Legs and torso touching all the way up.

“You had an okay day?” Jesse settled in and got comfortable. It took a moment before it registered that he had instinctively slid his hand over her belly, but once the fact sank in, he deliberately spread his fingers over her shirt and let his palm cradle the small round spot.

“I did. You have a very big family,” she informed him.

A soft chuckle escaped him as he let his fingers stroke back and forth. “I might’ve noticed that a time or two. Who dropped in today?”

Dare lifted a hand and counted off on her fingers while she called out names. “That was the morning.”

“Popular girl.”

“In the afternoon there was Anna—let me get this right—she’s the RCMP. She came in with her baby girl Kasey who they’re calling Kay, and the vet who’s married to another cousin…”

“Melody? Married to Steve.”

“That’s the one. Melody and Anna came in at the same time, and Melody had her little boy with her. His name is Jason and they’re calling him Jay, which is kind of hysterical because they told me they ended up in the hospital the same time. Neither of them had any idea that they were planning on using those names.”